Acing the Job Interview: Jennifer Grancio of BlackRock

Who She Is:Jennifer GrancioWhat She Does: Managing Director, Retail Business, BlackRockHome Base: San Francisco Bay Area

Jennifer Grancio is a Managing Director in BlackRock’s Retail Business. She is a member of the Retail Executive Committee and BlackRock’s Americas Executive Committee. Previously, Jennifer held a number of executive roles in the Global iShares Exchange Traded Fund business, including Head of Global Business Development, Head of US iShares Distribution, and, from 2005-2008, Head of Distribution for iShares Europe out of London. During this period she served on the Board of Barclays Global Investors Deutschland AG and was Head of BGI’s French Branch. Jennifer joined BlackRock via legacy Barclays Global Investors in 1998 and was involved in driving strategy, marketing, and business development for the iShares business since its inception. Prior to joining the firm, Jennifer worked in the asset management strategy consulting practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers. Jennifer holds a BA in International Relations with a focus on Central Europe from Stanford University where she graduated with Honors. She earned an MBA in Finance and Strategy from Columbia University.

What do you look for in a job candidate?

I look for smart, passionate people with a ‘can do’ attitude. My top three attributes would probably be:

Intensity and drive (directed in a positive way to build business, not in a negative way where success comes at the expensive of colleagues)

What would be your ideal job? was a great question I was asked. It let me answer in a way that I could show that I am aware of both my strengths and weaknesses. It also provided a chance to respond passionately and gave me a great platform to use specific past real-world examples to bring my skills to life for the interviewer.

What do you consider appropriate “go-to” interview attire in your line of business?

In asset management, a suit is always a good call. A suit that fits well with some accents that showcase a bit of flair or personality. For female candidates, the personality comes through in an interesting or colorful blouse, scarf, jewelry, and shoes. For senior female candidates, flair can also come across in a boldly colored jacket or suit. For male candidates the flair usually comes in the choice of tie, cufflinks, or briefcase/backpack/bag. For senior male candidates, flair also comes across in the quality and custom fit of a suit. Within our industry, the roles that focus on Operations tend to be the most conservative in dress and the marketing teams tend to be less conservative.